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| Vicky Pryce trial jury considers verdict | Vicky Pryce trial jury considers verdict |
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| A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of the disgraced former energy secretary Chris Huhne. | A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of the disgraced former energy secretary Chris Huhne. |
| Pryce, 60, an economist, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice over taking Huhne's speeding points on her driving licence in 2003. Her defence is that of marital coercion, claiming that the then MEP pressured her to take the points. | Pryce, 60, an economist, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice over taking Huhne's speeding points on her driving licence in 2003. Her defence is that of marital coercion, claiming that the then MEP pressured her to take the points. |
| The jury of eight women and four men has been told the speeding allegations emerged in newspaper stories on 8 May 2011. A police investigation was then launched, and Huhne and Pryce were charged in February 2012. | The jury of eight women and four men has been told the speeding allegations emerged in newspaper stories on 8 May 2011. A police investigation was then launched, and Huhne and Pryce were charged in February 2012. |
| Huhne, who resigned from the cabinet after being charged, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial on 4 February and is awaiting sentence. | Huhne, who resigned from the cabinet after being charged, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial on 4 February and is awaiting sentence. |
| The prosecution claims Pryce went to the newspapers with the story because she wanted to "nail" Huhne and destroy his career after he left her in June 2010 for public relations adviser Carina Trimingham. She first tried to "peddle a false story" to the Mail on Sunday that a constituency aide had taken Huhne's points, the prosecution claimed. | The prosecution claims Pryce went to the newspapers with the story because she wanted to "nail" Huhne and destroy his career after he left her in June 2010 for public relations adviser Carina Trimingham. She first tried to "peddle a false story" to the Mail on Sunday that a constituency aide had taken Huhne's points, the prosecution claimed. |
| When that failed, she told the Sunday Times political editor, Isabel Oakeshott, that she had taken the points, though she was not named as the recipient in the subsequent article. | When that failed, she told the Sunday Times political editor, Isabel Oakeshott, that she had taken the points, though she was not named as the recipient in the subsequent article. |
| Pryce claims she was pressured by her former husband into signing a form saying she was the driver of his car when it was clocked speeding on the M11 on 12 March 2003. She claims she resisted, but was "worn down" by Huhne constantly pressuring her because he already had nine points on his licence at the time and faced disqualification. He was seeking the Liberal Democrat nomination at the time and told her it would be her fault if he did not get it, and that his political career and image would be ruined if he was disqualified. | Pryce claims she was pressured by her former husband into signing a form saying she was the driver of his car when it was clocked speeding on the M11 on 12 March 2003. She claims she resisted, but was "worn down" by Huhne constantly pressuring her because he already had nine points on his licence at the time and faced disqualification. He was seeking the Liberal Democrat nomination at the time and told her it would be her fault if he did not get it, and that his political career and image would be ruined if he was disqualified. |
| Pryce claims she was presented with a "fait accompli" and that Huhne had notified the authorities she was the driver. He forced her to sign, standing next to her when she signed the form saying she was the driver. | Pryce claims she was presented with a "fait accompli" and that Huhne had notified the authorities she was the driver. He forced her to sign, standing next to her when she signed the form saying she was the driver. |
| Pryce has described Huhne as a "driven" and "ambitious" man who could be arrogant. She has told the jury that he twice tried to push her into having an abortion because the pregnancies were "bad timing". She said she had a termination on the first occasion, which she had "regretted ever since", but resisted on the second and had the baby. | Pryce has described Huhne as a "driven" and "ambitious" man who could be arrogant. She has told the jury that he twice tried to push her into having an abortion because the pregnancies were "bad timing". She said she had a termination on the first occasion, which she had "regretted ever since", but resisted on the second and had the baby. |
| Summing up the case for the prosecution, the judge told the jury that the prosecution say they "can be sure" that Pryce's "will was not overborne because either the claim of coercion was invented, or she lied about it, which she can only have done because it is false". | Summing up the case for the prosecution, the judge told the jury that the prosecution say they "can be sure" that Pryce's "will was not overborne because either the claim of coercion was invented, or she lied about it, which she can only have done because it is false". |
| "Or she exaggerated what was really no more than persuasion by comparing between what she said in the past and what she said now, with now said to be an exaggeration," said the judge. | "Or she exaggerated what was really no more than persuasion by comparing between what she said in the past and what she said now, with now said to be an exaggeration," said the judge. |
| "Even on her own account in the witness box, the prosecution say, her will was not overborne. She simply made a choice for her own purposes and only got found out because she decided to use it as a weapon against Huhne. Therefore, the prosecution say, they have proved that marital coercion did not apply and the correct verdict is guilty." | "Even on her own account in the witness box, the prosecution say, her will was not overborne. She simply made a choice for her own purposes and only got found out because she decided to use it as a weapon against Huhne. Therefore, the prosecution say, they have proved that marital coercion did not apply and the correct verdict is guilty." |
| The judge continued: "The defence say that that's all completely wrong. You should accept Vicky Pryce's evidence about what happened as she gave it on oath before you as being true. And that the result therefore should be, if you accept that as true or even if it may be true, the prosecution will have failed to make you sure either that Huhne wasn't there when she signed the form or that her will was not overborne. In that event the defence say obviously the proper verdict is one of not guilty." | The judge continued: "The defence say that that's all completely wrong. You should accept Vicky Pryce's evidence about what happened as she gave it on oath before you as being true. And that the result therefore should be, if you accept that as true or even if it may be true, the prosecution will have failed to make you sure either that Huhne wasn't there when she signed the form or that her will was not overborne. In that event the defence say obviously the proper verdict is one of not guilty." |
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